Has anyone fitted valves or similar to allow them to "dump" the water tanks before putting the van into storage (or do you store the van with tanks full)?
Pics are worth a thousand words....
Pics are worth a thousand words....
Exterior How do you drain your water tanks
- Thread starter Macca_75
- Start date
Cheers.
I suspect I am "over complicating" this by thinking of adding a valve and/or union.
I have not got a pic but there is a black cap at the filler point of each tank, takes about 10 mins to drain from empty
I will post a pic when I get home
Thanks - I know the ones you are talking about. Might just undo them tonight if it's not to cold and dark.
Hi @Macca_75,
in my opinion, the more things one adds, the more there is to go wrong. Under the van, they are also vulnerable to rocks, dust, etc.
cheers
Mike
A lot of blokes say store the van with full tanks but I empty them. When I want to use the van and pour in a mix of Hydrogen Peroxide/water (about 10 ltrs each tank) with 1/2 a litre peroxide (get it from a pool supplies place, or just use clorine) and the rest water.
and then drive around the block and let bit sit for the rest of the day then pump it out via all the taps in the van (carefull not to get it on your clothes skin van etc) then fill the tanks and head off.
and then drive around the block and let bit sit for the rest of the day then pump it out via all the taps in the van (carefull not to get it on your clothes skin van etc) then fill the tanks and head off.
If you drain them then @NoWorries is the way to go, draining the tank will always leave a bit of water and that allows things to grow, (thats one train of thought why ) where as leaving the tanks choccas keeps the air out making it harder for any beasties to grow but a flush and refill should be done before departure to clean everything out. I usually give the van a wash with whats in my tanks when I get home, drain whats left then refill, do the same again before I head off again with a quick nappisan flush from all taps before refilling the tanks.
I wouldn't make an attachment to drain them, just another thing to get broken.
I wouldn't make an attachment to drain them, just another thing to get broken.
We've always stored the tanks full....no problems at all.
Reason? to keep any air out of tanks to restrict algae growth. We even fill them up as soon as we get home.
but we do monitor the water quality carefully with a water test kit. We're on tanks at home so are used to keeping a close eye on water quality both at home and in the van. We even carry an extra test kit with us.
and always travel with them full ready for free camping opportunities.
I reckon if you know your van won't be used for a considerable time, then drain tanks and clean out with some algae growth inhibitor then you'd be ok.....but I'd certainly recommend testing the water quality regularly.
Reason? to keep any air out of tanks to restrict algae growth. We even fill them up as soon as we get home.
but we do monitor the water quality carefully with a water test kit. We're on tanks at home so are used to keeping a close eye on water quality both at home and in the van. We even carry an extra test kit with us.
and always travel with them full ready for free camping opportunities.
I reckon if you know your van won't be used for a considerable time, then drain tanks and clean out with some algae growth inhibitor then you'd be ok.....but I'd certainly recommend testing the water quality regularly.
We always keep our tanks FULL whenin storage. Have never had an issue with water quality. I have been told that is what you should do for all the reasons given above.
I am a bit finicky with the water I use for my Earl Grey so we always bring 2x 10 l rainwater jerry cans with us just for drinking water and my cups/mugs of tea. We also have a rain water tank plumbed into the kitchen at home for exactly the same reason. Never had a problem with rainwater from our tanks in 60+ years.
I am a bit finicky with the water I use for my Earl Grey so we always bring 2x 10 l rainwater jerry cans with us just for drinking water and my cups/mugs of tea. We also have a rain water tank plumbed into the kitchen at home for exactly the same reason. Never had a problem with rainwater from our tanks in 60+ years.
We always top up our tanks when we get home, then drain and refill just before we go away, nothing but fresh water goes in our tanks never use any chemicals in all the time we have had vans.
My sister had a half decomposed dead cat in her's, looked like it had been in there for months.
And it was her drinking water
In my younger days I recall the odd dead possum/mouse/snake/frogs, I was told the pump does a good job on the hard bits and the algae on the bottom strains the yucky bits..........I was about 9 and had my doubts though................Always had good screens on my house tanks and a filter for the pollen/dirt..........................................................................................................Have a good drink and brew a billy from the creek, later hike up stream a few more hundred yards and find the dead cow laying mid stream, any wonder I prefer Bourbon.............
Store then full, then drain and refill prior to trip,
That reminds me must top ours up, though probably bit late now as they've been sitting half full for about a month now
Never drink from them anyway
That reminds me must top ours up, though probably bit late now as they've been sitting half full for about a month now
Never drink from them anyway